Post by Gbru on Jan 17, 2019 22:32:33 GMT -5
Most people use bait but sometimes it is fun to throw a lure. You can catch a fish with a lure anytime, but they are especially good at night, early in the morning, and right about dusk.
One of the most popular lures around is the "Got-cha Plug." These lures are most effective if you use them from a pier, bridge, or jetty. In other words, they work best if you are up on something, casting down. They come in several styles and colors and the lure is excellent for bluefish, Spanish mackerel, trout, and stripers. When fishing from piers and bridges anywhere, retrieve them using short, sharp jerks of
the rod to produce a deadly swimming action.
Anglers fish them several different ways. You can cast them straight out with the current, letting slack in your line so it sinks. Others cast "against" the tide, so the Got-cha starts sinking and coming back towards you immediately. If you use this technique, I would cast diagonally, rather than straight out. Once you feel it touch the bottom, start jigging it up so it does not snag. Jig with your rod tip "down." You usually catch the stripers and trout near the bottom. Yes, you will get some snags, but you will also catch more fish.
Some anglers actually take a Got-cha Plug and let it go straight down to the bottom during a slacking tide and just bounce it up and down. Usually an angler needs a longer rod for this. A 9 or 10 foot Shakespeare Ugly Stick is ideal for this kind of fishing.
The Magnum Got-cha Plugs are 2 ounces in weight. The rest of the Got-cha Plugs are either 1 ¼ ounces or 7/8 ounces. The 1¼-ounce Got-cha comes in two colors- the red head with a white body or the yellow head with a white body. You can tell the difference between these and the 7/8-ounce size by looking at the length of the red or yellow head. It is longer. You can also look on the back of the package and read the item number. The 1¼-ounce Got-cha Plugs are G1401 (red head) and G1402 (yellow head).
The 2 ounce Got-cha Plugs are good use for larger stripers and big trout. They are also necessary to throw in a strong wind. A 2-ounce Got-cha will sink faster and is easier to use if you are striper fishing with 30 or 40-pound test line. For the average sized trout or bluefish however, the 1¼-ounce Got-cha is more popular. The 7/8-ounce size is good for smaller fish, fish that are feeding on smaller baitfish and fish that are closer to the surface.
A single hook at the tail of the Got-cha Plug instead of a treble hook makes it easier to release a striper. The action of the single hook Got-cha may not be quite as good as the treble hook Got-cha but it sure makes life easier if you are releasing a lot of fish! (Most of the two-ounce Got-cha Plugs are available with single or treble hook at the rear. Some are even available with bucktail attached to the single hook. This would be my choice if I were buying a single hook Got-cha Plug.) The small 7/8-ounce size Got-cha Plugs also come with gold or silver bodies while some even come with rattling sounds (rattlers.) Some are available with gold or nickel-plated treble hooks.
Like all lures and plastic worms, you should always carry a variety with you. If in doubt, in our area, the red head with the white body seems to always be the number one Got-cha Plug. The number two best Got-cha Plugs would be the yellow head with the white body. Besides that, the silver Got-cha Plugs are very popular for catching bluefish. The Nightglow colored Got-cha is quite popular on the Rt. 50 Bridge and also at the Inlets. The chartreuse colored Got-cha has been excellent for shad releases and occasionally very hot for sea trout. When the night is dark with no or little moon, the black Got-cha Plugs are great. If you are fishing at night at the jetty with no lights, again, try the black-bodied Got-cha Plugs. If you are trying for Spanish mackerel here or down south, chose the Got-cha Plugs with the gold hooks. Some anglers here like the gold hooks for the sea trout as well. Later in the fall, if we have Speckled Trout, you may want to switch to Got-cha Plugs with the gold hooks.
One of the most popular lures around is the "Got-cha Plug." These lures are most effective if you use them from a pier, bridge, or jetty. In other words, they work best if you are up on something, casting down. They come in several styles and colors and the lure is excellent for bluefish, Spanish mackerel, trout, and stripers. When fishing from piers and bridges anywhere, retrieve them using short, sharp jerks of
the rod to produce a deadly swimming action.
Anglers fish them several different ways. You can cast them straight out with the current, letting slack in your line so it sinks. Others cast "against" the tide, so the Got-cha starts sinking and coming back towards you immediately. If you use this technique, I would cast diagonally, rather than straight out. Once you feel it touch the bottom, start jigging it up so it does not snag. Jig with your rod tip "down." You usually catch the stripers and trout near the bottom. Yes, you will get some snags, but you will also catch more fish.
Some anglers actually take a Got-cha Plug and let it go straight down to the bottom during a slacking tide and just bounce it up and down. Usually an angler needs a longer rod for this. A 9 or 10 foot Shakespeare Ugly Stick is ideal for this kind of fishing.
The Magnum Got-cha Plugs are 2 ounces in weight. The rest of the Got-cha Plugs are either 1 ¼ ounces or 7/8 ounces. The 1¼-ounce Got-cha comes in two colors- the red head with a white body or the yellow head with a white body. You can tell the difference between these and the 7/8-ounce size by looking at the length of the red or yellow head. It is longer. You can also look on the back of the package and read the item number. The 1¼-ounce Got-cha Plugs are G1401 (red head) and G1402 (yellow head).
The 2 ounce Got-cha Plugs are good use for larger stripers and big trout. They are also necessary to throw in a strong wind. A 2-ounce Got-cha will sink faster and is easier to use if you are striper fishing with 30 or 40-pound test line. For the average sized trout or bluefish however, the 1¼-ounce Got-cha is more popular. The 7/8-ounce size is good for smaller fish, fish that are feeding on smaller baitfish and fish that are closer to the surface.
A single hook at the tail of the Got-cha Plug instead of a treble hook makes it easier to release a striper. The action of the single hook Got-cha may not be quite as good as the treble hook Got-cha but it sure makes life easier if you are releasing a lot of fish! (Most of the two-ounce Got-cha Plugs are available with single or treble hook at the rear. Some are even available with bucktail attached to the single hook. This would be my choice if I were buying a single hook Got-cha Plug.) The small 7/8-ounce size Got-cha Plugs also come with gold or silver bodies while some even come with rattling sounds (rattlers.) Some are available with gold or nickel-plated treble hooks.
Like all lures and plastic worms, you should always carry a variety with you. If in doubt, in our area, the red head with the white body seems to always be the number one Got-cha Plug. The number two best Got-cha Plugs would be the yellow head with the white body. Besides that, the silver Got-cha Plugs are very popular for catching bluefish. The Nightglow colored Got-cha is quite popular on the Rt. 50 Bridge and also at the Inlets. The chartreuse colored Got-cha has been excellent for shad releases and occasionally very hot for sea trout. When the night is dark with no or little moon, the black Got-cha Plugs are great. If you are fishing at night at the jetty with no lights, again, try the black-bodied Got-cha Plugs. If you are trying for Spanish mackerel here or down south, chose the Got-cha Plugs with the gold hooks. Some anglers here like the gold hooks for the sea trout as well. Later in the fall, if we have Speckled Trout, you may want to switch to Got-cha Plugs with the gold hooks.